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The 72 Most Affordable Online Master’s in Marketing

Rankings of online master's in marketing programsAn online master’s in marketing will take your industry career to the executive level. Leaders in marketing are tasked with overseeing and directing teams, financing projects, and analyzing data until organizational goals are achieved. Online marketing degree master programs are designed for professional advancement, providing courses from consumer behavior to brand management in flexible formats so you can work and learn on your time. The average chief marketing officer salary in the US sits at $176,130, according to Payscale. That’s over $100,000 more than a marketing manager might make in a year! Clearly, an online master’s in marketing can bolster a rewarding career in an exciting, ever-evolving field.

The career prospects, the salary, the promotional opportunity, those are great upsides of an online marketing degree. The downside? Communications, public relations, and marketing degrees can cost a small fortune—the most expensive charge over $74,000! Clearly, it pays to get educated before you enroll!

GetEducated compared 156 master’s programs in marketing, communications, and public relations from 109 regionally accredited online schools to create this ranking. Below is our editorially independent list of the 72 Best Buys for an affordable online master’s in marketing. All degrees cost less than the national tuition average for this subject area.

ARTICLE NAVIGATION: Rankings Table | Career Guide

Average Cost (In-state): ~$26,400
Least Expensive: East Carolina University ~$8,673.30
Most Expensive: Academy of Art University ~$74,168

Our data-driven research creates a truly reliable system of scientific rankings. There’s no fancy formulas here. We meticulously calculate total full-time tuition—including any fees—for the most accurate total cost. Our rankings cannot be bought, and therefore factually showcase the cheapest online master’s in marketing. The online marketing degrees listed above the gray dividing line are official 2022 “Best Buys” and cost less than the national average.

Most Affordable Online Master’s in Marketing

RankSchool / DegreeStatePriceNote
1
East Carolina University
(NC)
$8,673.30
$30,588.30
In-State
Out-of-State
2
Eastern New Mexico University
(NM)
$9,487.50
$12,420.00
In-State
Out-of-State
3
Arkansas State University
(AR)
$9,510.00
All Students
4
Union College
(KY)
$10,250.00
All Students
5
University of North Carolina-Wilmington
(NC)
$10,558.80
$33,607.20
In-State
Out-of-State
6
University of Iowa
(IA)
$11,268.00
All Students
7
Montana State University-Billings
(MT)
$11,483.30
$19,001.90
In-State
Out-of-State
8
Fitchburg State University
(MA)
$12,024.00
All Students
9
Missouri State University
(MO)
$12,885.00
All Students
10
University of Central Missouri
(MO)
$13,128.50
All Students
11
University of West Alabama
(AL)
$13,185.00
All Students
12
The University of Alabama
(AL)
$13,200.00
All Students
13
University of Nebraska at Kearney
(NE)
$13,237.00
$20,041.00
In-State
Out-of-State
14
Southern Utah University
(UT)
$13,500.00
All Students
15
Ball State University
(IN)
$14,352.00
$20,802.00
In-State
Out-of-State
16
University of Akron
(OH)
$14,484.00
$15,984.00
In-State
Out-of-State
17
Texas Tech University
(TX)
$14,575.00
All Students
18
Texas A & M University - Commerce
(TX)
$14,744.00
$26,984.00
In-State
Out-of-State
19
The University of Alabama
(AL)
$15,700.00
All Students
20
Troy University
(AL)
$15,750.00
All Students
20
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(WI)
$15,750.00
All Students
22
Eastern Illinois University
(IL)
$16,319.85
$31,124.31
In-State
Out-of-State
23
Ohio University
(OH)
$16,350.00
$16,920.00
In-State
Out-of-State
24
University of Louisiana at Monroe
(LA)
$16,500.00
All Students
25
SUNY Buffalo State
(NY)
$16,698.00
$19,800.00
In-State
Out-of-State
26
Concordia University-Saint Paul
(MN)
$17,100.00
$12,600.00
In-State/Out-of-State
Military
27
Morehead State University
(KY)
$18,045.00
All Students
28
Northern Arizona University
(AZ)
$18,082.00
All Students
29
Purdue University
(IN)
$18,114.00
$27,114.00
In-State
Out-of-State
30
West Texas A & M University
(TX)
$18,219.60
$33,558.84
In-State
Out-of-State
31
Minnesota State University-Mankato
(MN)
$18,615.96
All Students
32
Washington State University
(WA)
$18,673.50
All Students
33
University of Colorado Denver
(CO)
$18,780.00
$21,930.00
In-State
Out-of-State
34
Lindenwood University
(MO)
$18,845.00
All Students
35
California Baptist University
(CA)
$19,110.00
All Students
36
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
(WI)
$19,560.00
All Students
37
Austin Peay State University
(TN)
$19,560.75
$27,117.75
In-State
Out-of-State
38
Ashland University
(OH)
$19,650.00
All Students
39
Liberty University
(VA)
$19,741.00
$9,175.00
In-State/Out-of-State
Military
40
Calvin University
(MI)
$19,800.00
All Students
41
Sam Houston State University
(TX)
$19,866.60
All Students
42
Capitol Technology University
(MD)
$19,890.00
$11,490.00
In-State/Out-of-State
Military
42
National University (School Merged)
Master of Arts in Strategic Communication 14
Master of Science in Marketing 14
(CA)
$19,890.00
All Students
44
Aurora University
(IL)
$20,440.00
$9,100.00
In-State/Out-of-State
Military
45
Azusa Pacific University
(CA)
$20,770.00
All Students
46
The University of Tennessee - Martin
(TN)
$20,823.00
$22,704.00
In-State
Out-of-State
47
Old Dominion University
(VA)
$20,960.00
$22,544.00
In-State
Out-of-State
48
Liberty University
(VA)
$21,436.00
$10,000.00
In-State/Out-of-State
Military
49
Drake University
(IA)
$21,450.00
All Students
50
Notre Dame of Maryland University
(MD)
$21,705.00
All Students
51
East Tennessee State University
(TN)
$21,960.00
$27,540.00
In-State
Out-of-State
52
Park University
(MO)
$22,265.00
$16,181.00
In-State/Out-of-State
Military
53
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (part of Pennsylvania Western University)
Master of Arts in Communication Studies 14
(PA)
$22,521.60
$26,283.60
In-State
Out-of-State
54
Lasell University
(MA)
$22,536.00
All Students
55
Southern New Hampshire University
(NH)
$22,722.00
$17,070.00
In-State/Out-of-State
Military
56
Bellevue University
(NE)
$23,060.00
All Students
57
Spring Arbor University
(MI)
$23,140.00
All Students
58
West Virginia University
(WV)
$23,148.00
All Students
59
Central Connecticut State University
(CT)
$23,822.00
$24,284.00
In-State
Out-of-State
60
Mississippi College
(MS)
$23,831.00
All Students
61
Regent University
(VA)
$24,050.00
$18,687.50
In-State/Out-of-State
Military
62
Stevenson University
(MD)
$24,120.00
All Students
63
Franklin University
(OH)
$24,205.00
$19,381.00
In-State/Out-of-State
Military
64
Michigan State University
(MI)
$24,517.00
All Students
65
West Virginia University
(WV)
$24,600.00
All Students
66
University of Delaware
(DE)
$24,750.00
All Students
67
Lake Erie College
(OH)
$24,900.00
All Students
68
Sacred Heart University
(CT)
$25,275.00
All Students
69
Loyola University New Orleans
(LA)
$25,751.00
All Students
70
St. Bonaventure University
(NY)
$25,905.00
All Students
71
University of Kentucky
(KY)
$26,006.90
All Students
72
Marist College
(NY)
$26,100.00
All Students
NOTE: The following schools did not make our Best Buy ranking but are also great online options.
School / DegreeStatePriceNote
Northern Illinois University
(IL)
$26,901.60
All Students
University of Oklahoma
(OK)
$26,994.00
All Students
Queens University of Charlotte
(NC)
$27,180.00
All Students
Florida International University
(FL)
$27,500.00
All Students
Lynn University
(FL)
$27,750.00
All Students
Point Park University
(PA)
$28,080.00
All Students
Webster University
(MO)
$28,180.00
$13,780.00
In-State/Out-of-State
Military
Maryville University
(MO)
$28,404.00
All Students
Pennsylvania State University
(PA)
$28,500.00
All Students
Michigan State University
(MI)
$28,560.00
All Students
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(IL)
$28,736.00
All Students
Fairleigh Dickinson University
(NJ)
$28,928.00
All Students
Regis University
(CO)
$29,740.00
All Students
Gonzaga University
(WA)
$30,000.00
$27,000.00
In-State/Out-of-State
Military
Pennsylvania State University
(PA)
$31,380.00
All Students
University of Cincinnati
(OH)
$32,000.00
$32,480.00
In-State
Out-of-State
Rutgers University
(NJ)
$33,428.00
All Students
Drexel University
(PA)
$33,750.00
$45,315.00
In-State/Out-of-State
Military
Rider University
(NJ)
$33,905.00
All Students
Saint Joseph's University
(PA)
$34,200.00
All Students
Temple University
(PA)
$34,946.00
$46,199.00
In-State
Out-of-State
Brandeis University
(MA)
$35,350.00
All Students
DePaul University
(IL)
$35,650.00
All Students
University of Denver
(CO)
$35,904.00
All Students
Pace University
(NY)
$36,060.00
All Students
Marquette University
(WI)
$36,600.00
All Students
Eastern Michigan University
(MI)
$37,100.60
All Students
The University of Texas at Dallas
(TX)
$37,696.00
$69,596.00
In-State
Out-of-State
Quinnipiac University
(CT)
$37,860.00
All Students
College of William and Mary
(VA)
$37,870.00
All Students
St. Edward's University
(TX)
$38,360.00
All Students
Rutgers University
(NJ)
$38,840.00
All Students
Santa Clara University
(CA)
$40,068.00
All Students
Academy of Art University
(CA)
$42,451.00
All Students
Georgetown University
(DC)
$44,490.00
All Students
Johns Hopkins University
(MD)
$45,060.00
All Students
The George Washington University
(DC)
$47,530.00
All Students
Georgetown University
(DC)
$48,939.00
All Students
American University
(DC)
$54,360.00
All Students
American University
(DC)
$59,796.00
All Students
Fordham University
(NY)
$59,824.00
All Students
Johns Hopkins University
(MD)
$59,900.00
All Students
Syracuse University
(NY)
$64,812.00
All Students
University of Southern California
(CA)
$65,287.00
All Students
Academy of Art University
(CA)
$74,168.00
All Students

Accreditation & Program Notes

To qualify for a ranking, a program must be regionally accredited. Additional programmatic accreditation is noted in the rank table.

14 Options for this program have changed since publication.
AACSB  AACSB International
ACBSP  Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs

Rankings Note

These online college rankings are based on a GetEducated Winter 2021 review of regionally accredited online master’s in marketing. Total cost includes full-time tuition and fees and was valid at the time of collection and specific to the online learning program. School profiles for the online master degree programs in our directory may reflect a slightly different cost based on different editorial update schedules.

The published cost is an estimated sticker price for the entire online degree including fees. Actual costs may vary by student. Factors such as transfer credits, prerequisite courses, professional licensing and financial aid availability will affect final cost.

Editorial Note

Online schools do NOT pay to be included in any GetEducated online degree ranking. These rankings are editorially independent, open to any regionally accredited or candidate college that offers a master’s degree that is available at least 80 percent through online learning and that is open to enrollment by the public. If your online college is regionally accredited and not currently reviewed by GetEducated, please contact us for inclusion.

These rankings of the cheapest online schools for marketing may NOT be re-posted online or reprinted in any format without a license from GetEducated ®. Consumer finance bloggers and writers can contact our editors for a free custom article on the best online master’s in marketing for use on your website. Our mission: Help consumers GetEducated ® about the best online colleges for cost and credibility.

Career Guide: Online Master’s in Marketing

Marketing is a career that allows you to work in any industry. While many professionals work for marketing firms, you can apply your skills to exciting industries like sports, manufacturing, entertainment, healthcare, and more. If you already have an education in marketing or business, you should consider an online master’s in marketing. With this education, you’ll be prepared to enhance the marketing efforts for companies in all types of sectors.

What to Expect from an Online Master’s in Marketing

Marketing, perhaps more than any other career, relies on communication. Good advertising, marketing, and public relations needs to tell the audience something. Whether it’s a direct message about a product’s features, or an emotional appeal about a certain company or organization, it’s all about good communication.

For this reason, many of the online master’s in marketing that we have listed above are communication degrees. These include approaches to communication from many different angles.

Strategic communication, for example, is a common option. In strategic communication, you’ll learn the basics of influential communication, communication ethics, and how to use communication to guide decision making.

There is also organizational communication. Speaking with one person is far different than speaking to hundreds, thousands, or millions of people. This program teaches you how to be an effective communicator within an organization, how to present a message in the right way, and how to listen to people within the group.

Communication and leadership degrees are excellent for students who want to work in management. These degrees promote the value of communication among leaders of all types, including business and political leaders. It will help you develop a communication style that gets people behind your goals and working towards that same end.

You could also complete a degree focused on communication and technology. These types of online master’s in marketing degrees build your understanding of modern technology and how it can be leveraged for marketing and communication. Classes in this degree may include social media analytics, global communication, and web publishing.

Possible Careers after a Marketing Master’s Degree

Careers in marketing are some of the highest-paying yet most challenging jobs available. While you’ll face a variety of ongoing challenges, you’ll also have the skills to meet these challenges head on thanks to an online master’s in marketing.

Marketing Manager

  • Salary: $141,490
  • Education: Bachelor’s degree
  • Experience: Some experience required

These managers are tasked with guiding advertising and marketing campaigns. Specific duties may include planning the campaign, hiring staff, negotiating contracts, and meeting with clients to determine their marketing needs.

This is one of the most financially-rewarding jobs in marketing, but it takes years of experience to be hired as a marketing manager. Most professionals in this career will need at least a few years of experience in marketing, sales, or advertising. While the requirements are high, there should be plenty of opportunities, as this career is expected to grow by 10% between 2020 and 2030.

Sales Manager

  • Salary: $132,290
  • Education: Bachelor’s degree
  • Experience: Five years or less

As a sales manager, you won’t be responsible for selling products or services directly to customers. Instead, you’ll manage and lead sales team. Responsibilities in this career can take many forms, and may include preparing budgets, determining sales goals, analyzing performance, and creating plans to enhance sales in the near future.

To work in this career, you’ll need experience. Most sales managers will have roughly five years of experience before being hired in this profession. Prior experience is usually within the same industry; for example, if you want to be a sales manager in manufacturing material, previous experience as a sales associate in manufacturing is best.

Experience & Certification Requirements for Marketing Careers

Marketing careers rarely have licensing requirements; you won’t have to go through state-mandated programs to work as a marketing associate or manager. Voluntary certificates, however, can be extremely useful. Many organizations offer certificates in different specialties, including advertising, leadership, sales practices, and more. These can help improve your career and could lead to larger salaries.

If you plan on working as a leader or manager in marketing or communication, you’ll need experience. Employers typically prefer candidates who have at least five years of experience with the company. This experience helps them understand the industry so they can guide team members to higher levels of success. While an online master’s in marketing is extremely useful, experience is a requirement for most management careers.